Drainage grill for cup-and-saucer



- A ril 9, 1957 c. R. TAYLOR DRAINAGE GRILL FOR CUPANDSAUCER Filed Dec. 12, 1955 INVENT OR 7 \i 7 T E 7 GF 8L,

. ATTORNEY-S DRAINAGE GRILL FOR CUP-AND-SAUCER Clarence Renold Taylor, Penfield, N. Y.

Application December 12, 1955, Serial No. 552,466

1 Claim. (CI. 65-65) This invention relates to a coaster cup and saucer and more particularly to a device for preventing liquid, such as cofiee, from draining off onto the user of a cup when the user is about to drink from said cup.

An object of this invention is to produce a device of the character described which can be made of plastic, metal, or cardboard, etc.

Another object of the invention is to produce a novel device which will positively drain or draw liquid off the bottom of a cup and into a saucer containing the draining device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel draining device comprising a deep central reinforcing ring associated with a raised, semi-hollow guard ring, together with a base ring, the lower edge of said base ring being in about the same horizontal plane with the lower edge of said deep central ring.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is partly a view in elevation and partly a vertical sectional view, showing the device in actual use.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the draining device.

Figure 3 is a view in elevation of the draining device.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the device taken on line 4--4, Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the device taken on line 5-5, Figure 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of two of the draining devices, showing how they may be placed in stacked position.

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 7-7, Fig. 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates an ordinary saucer and 2 a cup resting upon my novel draining device 3, whereby the cup is drained efl'iciently of any and all liquid on the outside of it.

The draining device 3 comprises a base ring 4 surrounding a semi-hollow or guard ring 5, the rings 4 and 5 being connected by primary spokes or ribs 6 of which there may be any number. The deep center ring 7 is retained in approximately the center of the draining device by means States Patent 0 of auxiliary spokes or ribs 8 of which there may be any number.

The spokes 6 are connected at their outer ends to the top edge of said base ring 4 and at their inner ends 'to the bottom edge of said hollow ring 5, Fig. 4. The spokes 8 are connected at their outer ends to the bottom edge of said hollow ring 5 and at their inner ends to the top of said ring 7.

Upon referring to Figure 1 it will be seen that the lower edge of the base ring 4 is adapted to contact the surface of the saucer 1. The lower edge of the center ring 7 is in about the same horizontal plane with the lower edge of the base ring 4. The cup 2 rests only on the drainage spokes 8. By this novel construction of the elements of the draining device, the cup is efiiciently drained of every drop of liquid that may have collected upon the base of said cup, and is kept free of any liquid that has collected in the bottom of the saucer 1. The spokes 8 are rounded at their top as will be seen upon referring to Fig. 7. These spokes are sufiicient in number to adequately draw off every drop of liquid that may have collected on the base of the cup.

It is also to be noted that the spokes or ribs 8 (Fig. 4) are fastened at their inner ends to the top edge of the deep center ring 7. The primary ribs 6 are fastened to the upper edge of the base ring 4.

From actual experience with this draining device, it has been found that it is a very efiicient structure. The draining device is susceptible of being stacked one upon the other for efiicient storage and shipment. This stacking is illustrated in Figure 6.

The semi-hollow ring 5 provides reinforcement for the device, and also helps to locate the position of the cup when it is set down upon the auxiliary drainage spokes or ribs 8.

It is to be understood that this drainage device may be made of paper, metal, or plastic, etc., which material will not reduce the efiiciency of .the draining device While at the same time holding down the cost of manufacture.

While I have described the preferred embodiment of the invention and illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, certain minor changes or alterations may appear to one skilled in the art to which this invention relates during the extensive manufacture of the same, and I, therefore, reserve the right to make such changes or alterations as shall fairly fall Within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a device of the class described, the combination of a base ring nearly straight in vertical section, a guard ring curved in vertical section, means connecting said base ring and guard ring, a center ring nearly vertical in section, and means connecting said center ring and guard ring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,123,793 Pick Jan. 5, 1915 1,511,004 Pooch et al Oct. 7, 1924 2,364,537 Kerth Dec. 5, 1944 2,518,368 Peters Aug. 8, 1950 2,660,040 Babski Nov. 24, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 18,899 Switzerland Sept. 29, 1899 

